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Corbera S, Wexler BE, Bell MD, Pittman B, Pelphrey K, Pearlson G, Assaf M. Disentangling negative and positive symptoms in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Schizophr Res 2024; 271:1-8. [PMID: 39002525 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SZ) share traits, especially in social skills and negative symptoms, and to a lesser degree positive symptoms. Differential diagnosis can be challenging and discerning expressive and experiential negative symptoms may provide knowledge with potential diagnostic and functional relevance that can guide treatment. Two exploratory factor analyses (EFA) were conducted to reveal the underlying dimensions of negative and positive symptoms using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms & Negative Symptoms (SAPS/SANS) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G). Three factors emerged from the negative symptom EFA (70.5 % variance): NF1) Expressive Negative; NF2) Experiential Negative; and NF3) Preoccupation, Absorption & Expressive Affective Flattening. Three positive factors emerged (68.6 % variance): PF1) Hallucinations-Delusions; PF2) Grandiosity; and PF3) Thought Disorder-ADOS positive Symptoms. SZ showed higher PF1 scores, and ASD had higher PF3 scores. No differences between groups were observed in the negative factors. Across groups, all negative factors were inversely associated with quality of life. Only NF1 and NF2 and PF1 were detrimentally related to social functioning. A discriminant function analysis using all factors classified correctly 84.4 % of participants, with PF1, NF1 followed by NF2 being the best predictors of diagnosis. Expressive negative followed by Experiential negative symptoms are of diagnostic value independent of and beyond SZ-related positive symptoms and are related with detrimental functioning. Findings confirm the need to distinctively target negative symptoms, and specific SZ-related and ASD-related positive symptoms, and especially the use of several assessment tools for diagnostic classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Corbera
- Central Connecticut State University, Department of Psychological Science, New Britain, CT, USA.
| | - Bruce E Wexler
- Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Morris D Bell
- Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Brian Pittman
- Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kevin Pelphrey
- University of Virginia, Department of Neurology, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Godfrey Pearlson
- Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA; Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Michal Assaf
- Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA; Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT, USA
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2
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Jeong JH, Kim SW, Yu JC, Won SH, Lee SH, Kim SH, Kang SH, Kim E, Chung YC, Lee KY. Clinical, cognitive, and functional characteristics of recent-onset psychosis with autistic features: A 2-year longitudinal study. Schizophr Res 2024; 270:304-316. [PMID: 38944977 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Though categorized as separate illnesses, schizophrenia and autism are known to exhibit shared characteristics. This study explored the distinctions in clinical, cognitive, and functional characteristics among individuals with recent-onset psychosis, considering the severity of their autistic symptoms, involving longitudinal examinations. We analyzed 671 patients with recent-onset psychosis from Korean Early Psychosis Cohort Study (KEPS), and used the PANSS Autism Severity Score (PAUSS) to categorize patient into 'autistic', 'moderate', and 'non-autistic' groups. The autistic group had the highest rate of schizophrenia diagnosis, and the lowest incidence of comorbid psychiatric disorders. Schizophrenia diagnosis predicted membership of the autistic group. More severe autistic symptoms correlated with worse overall symptoms and functional outcomes, which significantly predicted membership of the autistic group. Cognitive impairments and emotional recognition difficulties increased with the severity of autistic symptoms. 2-year longitudinal assessments demonstrated that group differences in autistic features and overall symptoms, and functional outcomes remained consistent, and membership of the autistic group significantly predicted symptomatic remission and functional recovery. In conclusion, the presence of autistic symptoms has a significant impact on the overall symptomatology and functional capabilities. They are enduring attributes rather than temporary state variables, and serve as a significant predictor for both symptomatic and functional recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Hoon Jeong
- Department of Psychiatry, Nowon Eulji University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Wan Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Je-Chun Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hee Won
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hwan Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Inje University College of Medicine, Goyang, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University College of Medicine, Guro Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Shi Hyun Kang
- Department of Social Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Euitae Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Chul Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kyu Young Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Nowon Eulji University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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3
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Chisholm K, Schirmbeck F, Pinkham AE, Sasson NJ, Simons CJP, de Haan L, Harvey PD, Penn DL, Ziermans T. A Cross-sectional Conceptual Replication and Longitudinal Evaluation of the PANSS-Autism-Severity-Score Measure Suggests it Does Not Capture Autistic Traits in Individuals With Psychosis. Schizophr Bull 2023:sbad161. [PMID: 37992238 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism and psychosis co-occur at elevated rates, with implications for clinical outcomes, functioning, and suicidality. The PANSS-Autism-Severity-Score (PAUSS) is a measure of autism trait severity which has not yet been validated externally or longitudinally. STUDY DESIGN Participants were derived from the GROUP and SCOPE datasets. Participants included 1448 adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD), 800 SSD-siblings, 103 adults diagnosed with an autistic spectrum condition (ASC), and 409 typically-developing controls (TC). Analyses from the original validation study were conducted with SSD participants, and extended into ASC, SSD-sibling, and TC participants. Test-retest reliability of the PAUSS at 2-weeks and long-term stability 3 and 6-years was also examined. STUDY RESULTS Results differed in important ways from the original validation. SSD participants reported higher PAUSS scores than other groups, with only a fraction of ASC participants scoring as "PAUSS-Autistic." Cronbach's alpha was acceptable for the SSD cohort only. Two-week stability of the PAUSS was fair to good for all PAUSS scores. Long-term stability was poor for most PAUSS items but fair for total PAUSS score. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that the PAUSS does not appear appropriate for assessing autism, with the low rate of PAUSS-Autistic in the ASC population suggesting the PAUSS may not accurately reflect characteristics of autism. The relative lack of long-term stability is cause for concern and suggestive that the PAUSS is capturing features of psychosis rather than autism traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine Chisholm
- School of Psychology, Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, Aston University, Aston St, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
| | - Frederike Schirmbeck
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Meibergdreef, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Arkin Institute for Mental Health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amy E Pinkham
- Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Noah J Sasson
- Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Claudia J P Simons
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Center, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- GGzE Institute for Mental Health Care, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Lieuwe de Haan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Meibergdreef, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Arkin Institute for Mental Health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philip D Harvey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Research Service, Miami VA Healthcare System, Miami, USA
| | - David L Penn
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
- School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tim Ziermans
- Department of Psychology, Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Matrone C, Ferretti G. Semaphorin 3A influences neuronal processes that are altered in patients with autism spectrum disorder: Potential diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105338. [PMID: 37524141 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive disorder that most frequently manifests in early childhood and lasts for their entire lifespan. Several behavioural traits characterise the phenotype of patients with ASD, including difficulties in reciprocal social communication as well as compulsive/repetitive stereotyped verbal and non-verbal behaviours. Although multiple hypotheses have been proposed to explain the aetiology of ASD and many resources have been used to improve our understanding of ASD, several aspects remain largely unexplored. Class 3 semaphorins (SEMA3) are secreted proteins involved in the organisation of structural and functional connectivity in the brain that regulate synaptic and dendritic development. Alterations in brain connectivity and aberrant neuronal development have been described in some patients with ASD. Mutations and polymorphisms in SEMA3A and alterations in its receptors and signalling have been associated with some neurological disorders such as schizophrenia and epilepsy, which are comorbidities in ASD, but also with ASD itself. In addition, SEMA3A is a key regulator of the immune response and neuroinflammatory processes, which have been found to be dysregulated in mothers of children who develop ASD and in affected patients. In this review, we highlight neurodevelopmental-related processes in which SEMA3A is involved, which are altered in ASD, and provide a viewpoint emphasising the development of strategies targeting changes in the SEMA3A signal to identify patterns of anomalies distinctive of ASD or to predict the prognosis of affected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Matrone
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Gabriella Ferretti
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
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5
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Davut G, Onur D, Hüseyin G. Autistic features and executive functions in first episode psychosis: Associations with functionality and quality of life. Early Interv Psychiatry 2023; 17:814-823. [PMID: 36653734 DOI: 10.1111/eip.13372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
AIM The present study aimed at investigating the relationships between autistic features and cognitive deficits, functionality and quality of life in first episode psychosis (FEP) patients. METHODS Sixty FEP patients [mean age (SD) = 32.53 (10.74), n = 23 female, n = 37 male] were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Data was collected using a sociodemographic and clinical data form, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the PANSS Autism Severity Score (PAUSS), the Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Short Form in Turkish Version (WHOQOL-BREF TR). RESULTS Autistic symptom severity was found to be higher in males than females, and higher in patients with a family history of psychotic disorder. An inverse relationship was found between the duration of education and the severity of autistic symptoms. While there was an inverse relationship between autistic symptom severity and executive functions and functionality, no significant correlation was found with quality of life. Negative symptom severity was a predictor of executive functions and functionality. No significant difference was observed between autistic and psychotic domains which were related to executive functions. CONCLUSIONS Our study is the first to examine the relationship between autistic/psychotic symptoms and executive functions and functionality in patients with FEP. The results show that autistic symptoms are associated with worse social and personal functioning and worse executive functions in patients with FEP. Longitudinal follow-up studies with larger samples are required to determine the direction of the relations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genç Davut
- Erenköy Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Durmaz Onur
- Erenköy Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Güleç Hüseyin
- Erenköy Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Istanbul, Turkey
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6
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Ballerini M, Galderisi S, Bucci P, Mucci A, Lysaker PH, Stanghellini G. The Autism Rating Scale for Schizophrenia - Revised English Version: An Instrument to Characterize Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Phenotype. Psychopathology 2023; 57:149-158. [PMID: 37311427 DOI: 10.1159/000530588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Dis-sociality (DS) reflects the impairment of social experience in people with schizophrenia; it encompasses both negative features (disorder of attunement, inability to grasp the meaning of social contexts, the vanishing of social shared knowledge) and positive features (a peculiar set of values, ruminations not oriented to reality), reflecting the existential arrangement of people with schizophrenia. DS is grounded on the notion of schizophrenic autism as depicted by continental psychopathology. A rating scale has been developed, providing an experiential phenotype. Here we present the Autism Rating Scale for Schizophrenia - Revised English version (ARSS-Rev), developed on the Italian version of the scale. The scale is provided by a structured interview to facilitate the assessment of the phenomena investigated here. ARSS-Rev is composed of 16 distinctive items grouped into 6 categories: hypo-attunement, invasiveness, emotional flooding, algorithmic conception of sociality, antithetical attitude toward sociality, and idionomia. For each item and category, an accurate description is provided. Different intensities of phenomena are assessed through a Likert scale by rating each item according to its quantitative features (frequency, intensity, impairment, and need for coping). The ARSS-Rev has been able to discriminate patients with remitted schizophrenia from euthymic patients with psychotic bipolar disorder. This instrument may be useful in clinical/research settings to demarcate the boundaries of schizophrenia spectrum disorders from affective psychoses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvana Galderisi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Paola Bucci
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Armida Mucci
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Paul H Lysaker
- Richard L Roudebush VA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Giovanni Stanghellini
- Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences, G. D'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy
- D. Portales University, Santiago, Chile
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7
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Bechi M, Abu-Akel A, Agostoni G, Buonocore M, Bosia M, Martini F, Cavallaro R. Theory of mind and stereotypic behavior promote daily functioning in patients with schizophrenia. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2022; 56:818-827. [PMID: 34376088 DOI: 10.1177/00048674211038513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Functional disruption is a main feature of schizophrenia and still represents a major treatment challenge. A more in-depth identification of functional predictors is crucial for the creation of individualized rehabilitation treatments, which can translate into better functional outcomes. In this study, we aimed at pinpointing specific domains that affect different functional profiles, using a data-driven approach. METHODS We included a comprehensive evaluation of functional predictors, namely demographic, cognitive, sociocognitive and clinical variables, with a focus on constituent subdomains of autistic symptoms that have been associated with functioning in the recent literature. RESULTS In 123 schizophrenia patients, a two-step cluster analysis identified two groups of patients with different functional profiles (low vs high functioning). A backward stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of being a member of the high functioning group are significantly higher for individuals with (1) more years of education, (2) better Theory of Mind abilities, (3) higher levels of stereotypies/narrowed interests, (4) lower difficulties in social interaction, (5) lower communication difficulties and with (6) being male. CONCLUSION Findings raise the intriguing possibility that stereotypic behaviors may have a beneficial effect on functioning in schizophrenia. While the underlying mechanism is currently unknown, we hypothesize that patients may benefit from contexts in which more predictive relationships between environmental entities can systematically be established. This study underscores the potential utility of routinely assessing autistic symptomatology in schizophrenia, which can be instrumental in identifying novel therapeutic targets that can be utilized to improve daily functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Bechi
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Ahmad Abu-Akel
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Agostoni
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Buonocore
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Bosia
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Martini
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Cavallaro
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
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8
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Jutla A, Foss-Feig J, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. Autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia: An updated conceptual review. Autism Res 2022; 15:384-412. [PMID: 34967130 PMCID: PMC8931527 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) are separate disorders, with distinct clinical profiles and natural histories. ASD, typically diagnosed in childhood, is characterized by restricted or repetitive interests or behaviors and impaired social communication, and it tends to have a stable course. SCZ, typically diagnosed in adolescence or adulthood, is characterized by hallucinations and delusions, and tends to be associated with declining function. However, youth with ASD are three to six times more likely to develop SCZ than their neurotypical counterparts, and increasingly, research has shown that ASD and SCZ converge at several levels. We conducted a systematic review of studies since 2013 relevant to understanding this convergence, and present here a narrative synthesis of key findings, which we have organized into four broad categories: symptoms and behavior, perception and cognition, biomarkers, and genetic and environmental risk. We then discuss opportunities for future research into the phenomenology and neurobiology of overlap between ASD and SCZ. Understanding this overlap will allow for researchers, and eventually clinicians, to understand the factors that may make a child with ASD vulnerable to developing SCZ. LAY SUMMARY: Autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia are distinct diagnoses, but people with autism and people with schizophrena share several characteristics. We review recent studies that have examined these areas of overlap, and discuss the kinds of studies we will need to better understand how these disorders are related. Understanding this will be important to help us identify which autistic children are at risk of developing schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandeep Jutla
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, 630 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032, United States,New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside
Drive, Mail Unit 78, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Jennifer Foss-Feig
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn
School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Psychiatry, 1 Gustave L. Levy
Place, Box 1230, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, 630 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032, United States,New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside
Drive, Mail Unit 78, New York, NY 10032, United States,Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, New
York-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White
Plains, NY 10605, United States
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Isvoranu AM, Ziermans T, Schirmbeck F, Borsboom D, Geurts HM, de Haan L. Autistic Symptoms and Social Functioning in Psychosis: A Network Approach. Schizophr Bull 2022; 48:273-282. [PMID: 34313767 PMCID: PMC8781349 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbab084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Psychotic and autistic symptoms are related to social functioning in individuals with psychotic disorders (PD). The present study used a network approach to (1) evaluate the interactions between autistic symptoms, psychotic symptoms, and social functioning, and (2) investigate whether relations are similar in individuals with and without PD. We estimated an undirected network model in a sample of 504 PD, 572 familial risk for psychosis (FR), and 337 typical comparisons (TC), with a mean age of 34.9 years. Symptoms were assessed with the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ; 5 nodes) and the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE; 9 nodes). Social functioning was measured with the Social Functioning Scale (SFS; 7 nodes). We identified statistically significant differences between the FR and PD samples in global strength (P < .001) and network structure (P < .001). Our results show autistic symptoms (social interaction nodes) are negatively and more closely related to social functioning (withdrawal, interpersonal behavior) than psychotic symptoms. More and stronger connections between nodes were observed for the PD network than for FR and TC networks, while the latter 2 were similar in density (P = .11) and network structure (P = .19). The most central items in strength for PD were bizarre experiences, social skills, and paranoia. In conclusion, specific autistic symptoms are negatively associated with social functioning across the psychosis spectrum, but in the PD network symptoms may reinforce each other more easily. These findings emphasize the need for increased clinical awareness of comorbid autistic symptoms in psychotic individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adela-Maria Isvoranu
- Department of Psychology, Psychological Methods, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Ziermans
- Department of Psychology, Brain and Cognition, Dutch Autism and ADHD Research Center (d’Arc), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frederike Schirmbeck
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Arkin Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Denny Borsboom
- Department of Psychology, Psychological Methods, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hilde M Geurts
- Department of Psychology, Brain and Cognition, Dutch Autism and ADHD Research Center (d’Arc), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lieuwe de Haan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Zierhut M, Böge K, Bergmann N, Hahne I, Braun A, Kraft J, Ta TMT, Ripke S, Bajbouj M, Hahn E. The Relationship Between the Recognition of Basic Emotions and Negative Symptoms in Individuals With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders - An Exploratory Study. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:865226. [PMID: 35573376 PMCID: PMC9091587 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.865226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Current research suggests that emotion recognition is impaired in individuals affected by schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). However, the specific impact of negative symptoms on the ability to recognize single basic emotions has not yet been explored sufficiently and is the aim of the present study. A sample of N = 66 individuals diagnosed with SSD was recruited at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. In a first step, correlation analyses were conducted between seven different negative symptom subdomains of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the accuracy and latency in recognizing the six basic emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise) using the Emotion Recognition Task (ERT) of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). The significant correlations were subjected to linear regression models that controlled for the significant covariates diagnoses, age, sex, and education. Results revealed that in individuals with SSD the negative symptom domain of blunted affect significantly predicted the accuracy of emotion recognition performance (p < 0.05), particularly, when recognizing happiness (p < 0.05). Additionally, we found that stereotyped thinking also predicted the performance of emotion recognition, especially the response latency (p < 0.05) and difficulty in abstract thinking predicted the recognition of fear (p < 0.05). However, the nominal significances did not withstand correction for multiple tests and therefore need to be followed up in further studies with a larger sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Zierhut
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,BIH Charitè Junior Clinician Scientist Program, BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kerem Böge
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Niklas Bergmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Inge Hahne
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alice Braun
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Kraft
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thi Minh Tam Ta
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan Ripke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Malek Bajbouj
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eric Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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11
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Barlati S, Nibbio G, Morena D, Cacciani P, Corsini P, Mosca A, Deste G, Accardo V, Regina V, Lisoni J, Turrina C, Valsecchi P, Vita A. Autistic Symptoms in Schizophrenia: Impact on Internalized Stigma, Well-Being, Clinical and Functional Characteristics. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:801651. [PMID: 35432047 PMCID: PMC9005776 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.801651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) symptoms and internalized stigma (or self-stigma) can have a negative impact on cognitive and functional outcomes in people living with schizophrenia. Aim of the present study were to assess and compare internalized stigma, subjective well-being and other socio-demographic, clinical and functional characteristics in people diagnosed with schizophrenia with and without prominent autistic features. Ninety-four inpatients were assessed with measures of internalized stigma, subjective well-being, global clinical severity, schizophrenia symptoms severity, real-world functioning, medication side effects and attitude toward prescribed medications. Subjects with high levels of ASD symptoms were identified with the PANSS Autism Severity Score and compared to other participants. Predictors of prominent ASD features were also assessed. Thirteen patients showed prominent ASD symptoms. They were characterized by fewer years of education, worse real-world functioning and greater symptoms severity. No between-group differences were observed regarding subjective well-being and global internalized stigma severity; however, participants in the "autistic schizophrenia" group showed better stigma resistance. A worse clinical condition and fewer years of education emerged as predictors of autistic schizophrenia. Despite showing a more severe clinical presentation of the disorder and worse functional impairment, participants with prominent ASD symptoms do not present worse subjective well-being or more severe internalized stigma; on the contrary, they show better stigma resistance. ASD symptoms could therefore play a protective role in the internalization of stigma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Barlati
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Gabriele Nibbio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Cacciani
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Paola Corsini
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Mosca
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Deste
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Vivian Accardo
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Valentina Regina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Jacopo Lisoni
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Cesare Turrina
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Paolo Valsecchi
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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12
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Ribolsi M, Fiori Nastro F, Pelle M, Medici C, Sacchetto S, Lisi G, Riccioni A, Siracusano M, Mazzone L, Di Lorenzo G. Recognizing Psychosis in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:768586. [PMID: 35295770 PMCID: PMC8918655 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.768586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is strong evidence for the existence of a high comorbidity between autism and psychosis with percentages reaching up to 34. 8% and several significant implications for treatment and prognosis of these patients. However, the identification of comorbid psychosis in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder represents a complex challenge from a psychopathological point of view, in particular in patients with greater deficits in verbal communication. Intercepting the onset of a psychotic breakdown in autism may be very difficult, both disorders in fact occur along a phenotypic continuum of clinical severity and in many cases, psychotic symptoms are present in an attenuated form. In this paper, we reviewed the available scientific literature about comorbidity between psychosis and autism, focusing our attention on four specific dimensions: delusions, hallucinations, negative symptoms, and clinical course. The aim of this paper is to provide clinical tools to identify these psychotic phenomena in autistic patients, even when they occur in their attenuated form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Ribolsi
- Unit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology and Psychiatry, Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Fiori Nastro
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Pelle
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Medici
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Sacchetto
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Lisi
- Department of Mental Health, Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Assia Riccioni
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Siracusano
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Mazzone
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Di Lorenzo
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS-Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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13
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Nibbio G, Barlati S, Calzavara-Pinton I, Necchini N, Invernizzi E, Dell'Ovo D, Lisoni J, Deste G, Vita A. Assessment and correlates of autistic symptoms in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders measured with the PANSS Autism Severity Score: A systematic review. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:934005. [PMID: 36111306 PMCID: PMC9468543 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.934005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are considered separate entities, but the two spectra share important similarities, and the study of these areas of overlap represents a field of growing scientific interest. The PANSS Autism Score (PAUSS) was recently developed specifically to assess autistic symptoms in people living with SSD reliably and quickly. The aims of the present systematic review were to provide a comprehensive assessment of the use of the PAUSS scale in available literature and to systematically analyze cognitive, functional and neurobiological correlates of autistic symptoms measured with this instrument in SSD. The systematic literature search included three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO) as well as a manual search in Google Scholar and in reference lists of included papers. Screening and extraction were conducted by at least two independent reviewers. Out of 213 identified records, 22 articles referring to 15 original studies were included in the systematic review. Studies were conducted in several different countries by independent groups, showing consistent scientific interest in the use of the scale; most works focused on cognitive and functional correlates of ASD symptoms, but some also considered neurobiological features. Results of included studies showed that autistic symptoms in people with SSD are consistently associated with worse cognitive performance, especially in the social cognition domain, and with worse psychosocial functioning. However, the presence of autistic symptoms appears to also have a protective role, particularly on functioning, in subjects with more severe psychotic symptoms. Further exploring the impact of autistic symptoms could be of significant scientific and clinical interest, allowing the development of tailored interventions to improve treatment for people living with SSDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Nibbio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Stefano Barlati
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Necchini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elena Invernizzi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Dario Dell'Ovo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Jacopo Lisoni
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Deste
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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14
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Abstract
I suggest that the current study of autism is problematic, due to: (1) its failure to pursue a medical model of disease causation, with protocols for differential diagnoses of causes; (2) a notable incidence of unrecognized false positive diagnoses in children; (3) the conceptual equating of autism with sets of traits that have been shown to be genetically and phenotypically unrelated to one another; and (4) the expansion of use of the terms "autism" and "autism traits" to psychiatric conditions that have no substantive etiological or symptomatic overlap with autism. These problems can be alleviated by, like Kanner, considering autism as a syndrome, a constellation of traits, conceptualized as differences rather than deficits, some set of which is found in each affected individual to some degree. The original, prototypical form of autism can be delineated based on the "hallmarks" of autism: a set of core traits, originally explicated by Kanner, that defines a relatively-homogeneous group, and that connects with the larger set of autism symptoms. The hallmarks of autism provide a touchstone for research that is unambiguous, historically continuous to the present, and linked with major theories for explaining the causes and symptoms of autism. Use of the hallmarks of autism does not impact recognition and treatment of individuals with DSM diagnosed autism, or individuals with the many disorders that involve social deficits. This perspective is compatible with the research domain criteria approach to studying autism, via analyses of autism's constituent traits and the differential diagnosis of its individual-specific causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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15
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Abu-Akel A, Wood SJ, Upthegrove R, Chisholm K, Lin A, Hansen PC, Gillespie SM, Apperly IA, Montag C. Psychosocial functioning in the balance between autism and psychosis: evidence from three populations. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2976-2984. [PMID: 35422471 PMCID: PMC9205777 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01543-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Functional impairment is a core feature of both autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. While diagnostically independent, they can co-occur in the same individual at both the trait and diagnostic levels. The effect of such co-occurrence is hypothesized to worsen functional impairment. The diametric model, however, suggests that the disorders are etiologically and phenotypically diametrical, representing the extreme of a unidimensional continuum of cognition and behavior. A central prediction of this model is that functional impairment would be attenuated in individuals with mixed symptom expressions or genetic liability to both disorders. We tested this hypothesis in two clinical populations and one healthy population. In individuals with chronic schizophrenia and in individuals with first episode psychosis we evaluated the combined effect of autistic traits and positive psychotic symptoms on psychosocial functioning. In healthy carriers of alleles of copy number variants (CNVs) that confer risk for both autism and schizophrenia, we also evaluated whether variation in psychosocial functioning depended on the combined risk conferred by each CNV. Relative to individuals with biased symptom/CNV risk profiles, results show that functional impairments are attenuated in individuals with relatively equal levels of positive symptoms and autistic traits-and specifically stereotypic behaviors-, and in carriers of CNVs with relatively equal risks for either disorder. However, the pattern of effects along the "balance axis" varied across the groups, with this attenuation being generally less pronounced in individuals with high-high symptom/risk profile in the schizophrenia and CNV groups, and relatively similar for low-low and high-high individuals in the first episode psychosis group. Lower levels of functional impairments in individuals with "balanced" symptom profile or genetic risks would suggest compensation across mechanisms associated with autism and schizophrenia. CNVs that confer equal risks for both disorders may provide an entry point for investigations into such compensatory mechanisms. The co-assessment of autism and schizophrenia may contribute to personalized prognosis and stratification strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Abu-Akel
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. .,School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, 31905, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Stephen J. Wood
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XCentre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, 35 Poplar Rd, Parkville, VIC 3052 Australia ,grid.488501.00000 0004 8032 6923Orygen, Parkville, VIC 3052 Australia
| | - Rachel Upthegrove
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK ,grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK ,Forward Thinking Birmingham and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust, 1 Printing House Street, Birmingham, B4 6DF UK
| | - Katharine Chisholm
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK ,grid.7273.10000 0004 0376 4727Department of Psychology, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET UK
| | - Ashleigh Lin
- grid.1012.20000 0004 1936 7910Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, 15 Hospital Avenue, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Peter C. Hansen
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
| | - Steven M. Gillespie
- grid.10025.360000 0004 1936 8470Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GB UK
| | - Ian A. Apperly
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
| | - Christiane Montag
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Charité University Medicine Berlin (Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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16
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Deste G, Vita A, Nibbio G, Barlati S, Penn DL, Pinkham AE, Harvey PD. Autistic symptoms in people with schizophrenia: Neurocognitive, socio-cognitive, clinical and real-world functional characteristics of individuals without autistic features. Schizophr Res 2021; 236:12-18. [PMID: 34364032 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.07.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) symptoms are frequent in people living with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and have a relevant impact on their daily life. However, current literature is mostly focused on investigating correlates of high levels of ASD symptoms, leaving largely unexplored the clinical, neurocognitive, socio-cognitive and functional characterization of individuals with minimal or absent ASD symptoms, which may represent a peculiar sub-population. METHODS A total of 361 patients (mean age 41.7 years; 117 females) included in the SCOPE study were assessed with clinical, neurocognitive, socio-cognitive, functional capacity, social skills and real-world functioning measures. The severity of ASD symptoms was assessed with the PANSS Autism Severity Scale (PAUSS): individuals with a PAUSS score < 10 were considered without significant ASD symptoms. RESULTS Seventy-two (19.95%) participants had no significant ASD symptoms and presented a less severe clinical status, as well as a better cognitive and socio-cognitive performance and functional profile. Lower non-autistic SSD symptoms severity and better social skills, functional capacity, global cognitive and Theory of Mind/Mental State Attribution (as measured by the Hinting task) performance and real-world social relationships emerged as predictors of non-ASD symptoms status in the logistic regression analyses. CONCLUSION Individuals without ASD symptoms represent a minority of people diagnosed with SSD that appears to be characterized by specific correlates, resulting in a less severe situation and more positive outcomes. As these factors could have a relevant impact on treatment response, assessing the severity of ASD symptoms could be an important step required to define a personalized treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Deste
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Gabriele Nibbio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Stefano Barlati
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - David L Penn
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America; School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Amy E Pinkham
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, United States of America.
| | - Philip D Harvey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States of America; Research Service, Miami VA Healthcare System, United States of America.
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17
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Bechi M, Abu-Akel A, Agostoni G, Bosia M, Cocchi F, Spangaro M, Cavallaro R. Functional benefits of co-occurring autistic symptoms in schizophrenia is delimited by symptom severity. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 137:48-54. [PMID: 33652326 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impairments in daily functioning characterize both autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Research has shown that a subsample of schizophrenia patients presents autistic symptoms, leading to the hypothesis that their co-occurrence would be associated with a 'double dose' of deficit. A growing body of research examined this hypothesis by looking at the joint effect of autistic and positive psychotic symptoms, and yielded contrasting results, ranging from benefits to adverse effects. We hypothesized that the interactive effect of autistic and positive symptoms on functioning in schizophrenia might depend on the patients' symptom severity. METHOD In 170 schizophrenia patients, a two-step cluster analysis identified two groups of patients with different levels of autistic and positive symptom severity. Using general linear models, we examined the interactions of groups, autistic and positive symptoms on functioning. RESULTS Autistic and positive symptoms were interactively associated with better functioning, but only in the symptomatically less severe patients. In contrast, autistic and positive symptoms were independently associated with worse functioning in the symptomatically more severe patients. These associations were observed above and beyond the effects of I.Q. and illness duration. CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the complex role played by co-occurring autistic symptoms in schizophrenia, whose beneficial effects on functioning appear to depend on patients' psychopathological severity. Our findings may help to reconcile the seemingly contrasting results from previous studies, and to understand the heterogeneity of behavior and functional outcomes in schizophrenia. This study underscores the potential utility of routinely assessing autism in schizophrenia, in order to better formulate individualized rehabilitative programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Bechi
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Ahmad Abu-Akel
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Agostoni
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
| | - Marta Bosia
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Cocchi
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Spangaro
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Cavallaro
- Schizophrenia Research and Clinical Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
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18
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Palumbo D, Stanghellini G, Mucci A, Ballerini M, Giordano GM, Lysaker PH, Galderisi S. Autism Rating Scale: A New Tool for Characterizing the Schizophrenia Phenotype. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:622359. [PMID: 33574776 PMCID: PMC7870791 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.622359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Social dysfunctions (SD) are frequently observed in subjects with schizophrenia. Some of these dysfunctions are also observed in other neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), major depression, bipolar disorder, or Alzheimer disease. Recently, a characterization of a specific type of SD in schizophrenia has been proposed, with the concept of dis-sociality, which form the core aspect of "Schizophrenic Autism" (SA). The present study aimed to explore the presence in people with schizophrenia of SA, independent of other autistic traits, which can be often found in schizophrenia and other neurodevelopmental disorders. We used a structured interview-the Autism Rating Scale (ARS), an instrument devised to detect and measure SA. Fifty-one outpatients affected by schizophrenia (26 remitted, SCZ-r) and 28 affected by bipolar disorder type 1, with psychotic features, in the euthymic phase (BD-e) were recruited. Before assessing the specificity for schizophrenia of SA, we tested the internal consistency, the convergent and divergent validity of the ARS in the schizophrenia sample. Specificity was assessed by examining potential differences in ARS scores between SCZ-r and BD-e subjects. ARS showed good internal consistency, as well as convergent and divergent validity. ARS items were more frequently of moderate severity in SCZ-r than in BD-e subjects. This scale can contribute to establish more precise phenomenal boundaries between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and opens up the possibility of identifying a different type of SD in schizophrenia, independent of autistic traits and negative symptoms, which might benefit from different treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Palumbo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Stanghellini
- Department of Psychological, Humanistic and Territorial Sciences, G. D'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.,D. Portales University, Santiago, Chile
| | - Armida Mucci
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Paul H Lysaker
- Richard L Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Silvana Galderisi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
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19
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Vita A, Barlati S, Deste G, Rocca P, Rossi A, Bertolino A, Aguglia E, Amore M, Bellomo A, Biondi M, Carpiniello B, Collantoni E, Cuomo A, D'Ambrosio E, Dell' Osso L, di Giannantonio M, Giordano GM, Marchesi C, Monteleone P, Montemagni C, Oldani L, Pompili M, Roncone R, Rossi R, Siracusano A, Zeppegno P, Nibbio G, Galderisi S, Maj M. The influence of autistic symptoms on social and non-social cognition and on real-life functioning in people with schizophrenia: Evidence from the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses multicenter study. Eur Psychiatry 2020; 63:e98. [PMID: 33168115 PMCID: PMC7737172 DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2020.99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), although conceptualized as separate entities, may share some clinical and neurobiological features. ASD symptoms may have a relevant role in determining a more severe clinical presentation of schizophrenic disorder but their relationships with cognitive aspects and functional outcomes of the disease remain to be addressed in large samples of individuals. Aims To investigate the clinical, cognitive, and functional correlates of ASD symptoms in a large sample of people diagnosed with schizophrenia. Methods The severity of ASD symptoms was measured with the PANSS Autism Severity Scale (PAUSS) in 921 individuals recruited for the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses multicenter study. Based on the PAUSS scores, three groups of subjects were compared on a wide array of cognitive and functional measures. Results Subjects with more severe ASD symptoms showed a poorer performance in the processing speed (p = 0.010), attention (p = 0.011), verbal memory (p = 0.035), and social cognition (p = 0.001) domains, and an overall lower global cognitive composite score (p = 0.010). Subjects with more severe ASD symptoms also showed poorer functional capacity (p = 0.004), real-world interpersonal relationships (p < 0.001), and participation in community-living activities (p < 0.001). Conclusions These findings strengthen the notion that ASD symptoms may have a relevant impact on different aspects of the disease, crucial to the life of people with schizophrenia. Prominent ASD symptoms may characterize a specific subpopulation of individuals with SSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST-Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
| | - Stefano Barlati
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST-Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Deste
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST-Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
| | - Paola Rocca
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rossi
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Eugenio Aguglia
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, Psychiatry Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Antonello Bellomo
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Massimo Biondi
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Bernardo Carpiniello
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Enrico Collantoni
- Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cuomo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Clinical Department of Mental Health, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Enrico D'Ambrosio
- Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Liliana Dell' Osso
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Carlo Marchesi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Palmiero Monteleone
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Section of Neuroscience, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Cristiana Montemagni
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Lucio Oldani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Roncone
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Rossi
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Alberto Siracusano
- Department of Systems Medicine, Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology Unit, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Zeppegno
- Department of Translational Medicine, Psychiatric Unit, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy
| | - Gabriele Nibbio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Silvana Galderisi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Mario Maj
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
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20
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Social Cognition in Autism and Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: The Same but Different? J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:3046-3059. [PMID: 32642956 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04408-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Social cognition impairment is a core shared phenotype in both schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study compares social cognition performance through four different instruments in a sample of 147 individuals with ASD or SSD and in healthy controls. We found that both clinical groups perform similarly to each other and worse than healthy controls in all social cognition tasks. Only performance on the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC) test was independent of age and intelligence. Proportionately, individuals in the control group made significantly more overmentalization errors than both patients group did and made fewer undermentalization errors than patients with SSD did. AUC analyses showed that the MASC was the instrument that best discriminated between the clinical and control groups. Multivariate analysis showed negative symptom severity as a potential mediator of the association between social cognition deficit and poor global functioning.
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21
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Perez MM, Tercero BA, Penn DL, Pinkham AE, Harvey PD. Overconfidence in social cognitive decision making: Correlations with social cognitive and neurocognitive performance in participants with schizophrenia and healthy individuals. Schizophr Res 2020; 224:51-57. [PMID: 33097367 PMCID: PMC7722219 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
It has been reported that people with schizophrenia are frequently overconfident relative to their performance, a trait observed in healthy individuals as well. In schizophrenia, impaired self-assessments have been found to be associated with functional impairments in various domains. Previous studies examining the correlation of overconfidence and task performance within domains (e.g., social cognition) had found overconfidence was associated with particularly poor performance. This study examines how overconfidence on a social cognitive emotion recognition task is correlated with performance on other social cognitive tests, measures of neurocognition, and intelligence. The sample includes 154 healthy controls and 218 outpatient individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. For the healthy controls, overconfidence was a significant predictor of poorer performance on social cognitive, but not neurocognitive tasks. For the participants with schizophrenia, overconfidence was a predictor of poorer performance on every performance-based task. In addition, overconfidence in healthy controls was more strongly correlated with intelligence than it was in participants with schizophrenia. The data suggest that a bias toward overestimation of performance aligns with poorer performance social cognitive domains, as well as neurocognitive domains in participants with schizophrenia. In healthy individuals, consistent with previous results, lower general intelligence seems to be a substantial predictor of overconfidence. These data suggest that attention to the accuracy of self-assessment is an area for future clinical interventions in people with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M. Perez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1120 NW 14th Street, Suite 1450, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Bianca A. Tercero
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1120 NW 14th Street, Suite 1450, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - David L. Penn
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA,School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Amy E. Pinkham
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Philip D. Harvey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1120 NW 14th Street, Suite 1450, Miami, FL 33136 USA,Research Service, Miami VA Healthcare System, Miami, FL, USA,Corresponding Author: Philip D. Harvey, PhD, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1120 NW 14th Street, Suite 1450, Miami, FL 33136 US (telephone: 305-243-4094; fax: 305-243-1619;
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22
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Pina-Camacho L, Boada L, Díaz-Caneja CM, García-Alcón A, Burdeus M, Serrano-Drozdowskyj E, Fraguas D, Moreno C, Parellada M. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia Autism Severity Scale (PAUSS) in young people with autism and schizophrenia. REVISTA DE PSIQUIATRIA Y SALUD MENTAL 2020; 13:118-130. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rpsm.2020.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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23
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Abu-Akel A, Philip RCM, Lawrie SM, Johnstone EC, Stanfield AC. Categorical and Dimensional Approaches to Examining the Joint Effect of Autism and Schizotypal Personality Disorder on Sustained Attention. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:798. [PMID: 32848955 PMCID: PMC7426517 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Accumulating evidence for the co-occurrence autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) at both the diagnostic and symptom levels raises important questions about the nature of their association and the effect of their co-occurrence on the individual's phenotype and functional outcome. Research comparing adults with ASD and SPD, as well as the impact of their co-occurrence on outcomes is extremely limited. We investigated executive functioning in terms of response inhibition and sustained attention, candidate endophenotypes of both conditions, in adults with ASD, SPD, comorbid ASD and SPD, and neurotypical adults using both categorical and dimensional approaches. METHODS A total of 88 adults (Mean Age = 37.54; SD = 10.17): ASD (n = 26; M/F = 20/6); SPD (n = 20; M/F = 14/6); comorbid ASD and SPD (n=9; M/F=6/3) and neurotypicals (n=33; M/F=23/10) completed the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) in both its fixed and random forms. Positive and autistic symptom severity was assessed with the positive subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSSpos) and the PANSS Autism Severity Score (PAUSS), respectively. RESULTS Controlling for full scale IQ, working memory and medication dosage, group analyses revealed that the comorbid group committed fewer omission errors than the ASD group on the fixed SART, and fewer omission errors than the ASD and SPD groups on the random SART. The individual difference analyses of the entire sample revealed that the PANSSpos and PAUSS interactively reduced omission errors in both the fixed and random SARTs, as well as increased d' scores, indicative of improved overall performance. We observed no significant results for commission errors or reaction time. CONCLUSIONS Concurrent elevated levels of autistic and positive psychotic symptoms seem to be associated with improved sustained attention abilities (reduced omission errors) but not inhibition (commission errors). Our findings highlight the importance of investigating the concurrent effect of ASD and SPD at both the symptom and diagnostic levels, and raise important questions for future research regarding the clinical and behavioral phenotypes of adults with dual diagnosis and, more generally, about the nature of the relationship between ASD and SPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Abu-Akel
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ruth C M Philip
- Tailor Ed Foundation, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen M Lawrie
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Eve C Johnstone
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew C Stanfield
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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24
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Deste G, Vita A, Penn DL, Pinkham AE, Nibbio G, Harvey PD. Autistic symptoms predict social cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2020; 215:113-119. [PMID: 31780344 PMCID: PMC7035981 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) share many similarities. Among those features, social cognitive impairment is recognized as a key characteristic of both ASD and schizophrenia. In this study, the role of ASD symptoms, measured with the PANSS Autism Severity Score (PAUSS), was investigated as a predictor of social cognitive performance in patients with Schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Existent databases from 2 studies (SCOPE Phase 3 and SCOPE Phase 5), in which a total of 361 patients (mean age 41.7 years; 117 females) were assessed with tests of mental state attribution and emotion recognition, were analyzed. Less severe ASD symptoms, as well as younger age, better premorbid IQ, and neurocognition were identified as individual predictors of better social cognitive performance. These results suggest a role of ASD symptoms in affecting social cognitive performance in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonio Vita
- Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy; University of Brescia, School of Medicine, Italy.
| | - David L. Penn
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America,School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University,
Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Amy E. Pinkham
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of
Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States of America,Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern
Medical School, Dallas, TX, United States of America
| | | | - Philip D. Harvey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States of
America,Research Service, Miami VA Healthcare System, United
States of America
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25
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Deste G, Vita A, Nibbio G, Penn DL, Pinkham AE, Harvey PD. Autistic Symptoms and Social Cognition Predict Real-World Outcomes in Patients With Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:524. [PMID: 32581892 PMCID: PMC7294984 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Real-world functioning is a complex construct influenced by different factors. The impact of social cognition and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms on different aspects of the life of people with schizophrenia has been demonstrated independently, but it is unclear how these factors are related to functioning when considered concurrently. We hypothesized that ASD symptoms could play a major role in predicting real-world functioning in schizophrenia. METHODS Existent databases from two studies (SCOPE Phase 3 and SCOPE Phase 5), in which a total of 361 patients (mean age 41.7 years; 117 females) were assessed with measures of symptom severity, neuro- and socio-cognitive abilities, functional capacity, social skills, and informant-reported real-world functioning outcomes, were analyzed. RESULTS Active social avoidance, social skills, ASD symptoms, and emotion processing emerged as predictors of real-world interpersonal relationships. Cognitive performance, positive symptoms, and functional capacity emerged as predictors of real-world participation in daily activities. Cognitive performance, emotion processing, positive symptoms severity, and social skills emerged as predictors of real-world work outcomes. CONCLUSION Among other demographic, clinical, and functional capacity variables, increased ASD symptoms emerged as a significant predictor of poorer social relationships and may therefore represent a key factor in predicting real-world social functioning in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Deste
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy.,School of Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - David L Penn
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Amy E Pinkham
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Philip D Harvey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States.,Research Service, Miami VA Healthcare System, Miami, FL, United States
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26
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Barlati S, Minelli A, Ceraso A, Nibbio G, Carvalho Silva R, Deste G, Turrina C, Vita A. Social Cognition in a Research Domain Criteria Perspective: A Bridge Between Schizophrenia and Autism Spectra Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:806. [PMID: 33005149 PMCID: PMC7485015 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia and autism spectra disorders are currently conceptualized as distinct clinical categories. However, the relationship between these two nosological entities has been revisited in recent years due to the evidence that they share some important clinical and neurobiological features, putting into question the nature and the extent of their commonalities and differences. In this respect, some core symptoms that are present in both disorders, such as social cognitive deficits, could be a primary target of investigation. This review briefly summarizes the commonalities and overlapping features between schizophrenia and autism spectra disorders in social cognitive functions, considering this construct in a Research Domain Criteria perspective. The clinical manifestation of deficits in social cognition are similar in schizophrenia spectrum disorders and autism spectrum disorders, and brain areas that appear to be altered in relation to these impairments are largely shared; however, the results of various studies suggest that, in some cases, the qualitative nature of these alterations may be different in the two spectra. Moreover, relevant differences could be present at the level of brain networks and connections. More research is required in this field, regarding molecular and genetic aspects of both spectra, to better define the neurobiological mechanisms involved in social cognition deficits, with the objective of developing specific and targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Barlati
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Minelli
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Anna Ceraso
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Gabriele Nibbio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Rosana Carvalho Silva
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Deste
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Cesare Turrina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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27
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Bechi M, Agostoni G, Buonocore M, Gritti D, Mascia M, Spangaro M, Bianchi L, Cocchi F, Guglielmino C, Bosia M, Cavallaro R. The association of autistic traits with Theory of Mind and its training efficacy in patients with schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH-COGNITION 2019; 19:100164. [PMID: 31832344 PMCID: PMC6890977 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2019.100164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Literature has recently identified a discrete subgroup of patients affected by schizophrenia that also present autistic traits (ATs), showing a peculiar cognitive, clinical and functional profile. Theory of Mind (ToM) represents a core, impaired feature in both schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ToM in patients with schizophrenia and ATs has yet to be investigated. Thus, this study aims, on the one hand, to assess differences among patients with and without ATs on clinical, cognitive and ToM abilities as well as in daily functioning; on the other hand, to compare the efficacy on mentalizing abilities of a specific ToM training in these two groups. Ninety-six patients with schizophrenia were enrolled and underwent a broad cognitive, social-cognitive and functional assessment before and after the ToM training. ANOVAs revealed that patients with schizophrenia and ATs are more impaired in cognition, ToM, in premorbid and daily functioning as well as in clinical features, as compared to patients without ATs. This latter group also showed a general improvement in mentalizing abilities after ToM training, while patients with schizophrenia and ATs did not, with a significant time × group interaction on ToM abilities. These data shed new light on the relation among schizophrenia and ATs, highlighting that patients with these traits are highly impaired in ToM abilities. Thus, ATs seem to limit the effectiveness of ToM training, having implications in clinical and rehabilitative practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Bechi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Agostoni
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Buonocore
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Gritti
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Mattia Mascia
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Spangaro
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Bianchi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Cocchi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Carmelo Guglielmino
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Bosia
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Cavallaro
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
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28
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Harvey PD, Deckler E, Jones MT, Jarskog LF, Penn DL, Pinkham AE. Autism symptoms, depression, and active social avoidance in schizophrenia: Association with self-reports and informant assessments of everyday functioning. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 115:36-42. [PMID: 31102902 PMCID: PMC6556410 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Autistic traits are a feature of schizophrenia and has been found to impair social functioning and social cognition. Other influences on social outcomes in schizophrenia include depression and social avoidance. However, challenges in self-assessment of abilities and functioning (i.e., introspective accuracy) and self-assessment bias also contribute to disability. Depression has been studied for its association with introspective accuracy and bias, but autistic traits have not. Participants were 177 patients with schizophrenia who self-reported their everyday functioning and social cognitive ability as well as their depression. All were rated with the PANSS and a separate rater generated all-sources ratings of everyday functioning and social cognitive ability. Correlations between self-reported everyday functioning and social cognitive ability, ratings of everyday functioning and social cognitive ability, and the discrepancies between those ratings were examined for correlations with depression, autistic features and social avoidance. Accuracy was defined by the absolute value of the difference between self-reports and all-sources ratings and bias was defined by the direction of discrepancy (positive vs. negative). There was a statistically significant difference between sources on every measure. Bias was not directional on average, but patients with the lowest levels of depression overestimated their abilities on every measure and those with the highest depression underestimated. Autistic traits were associated with impairments in everyday functioning and underestimation of those impairments, while social avoidance was associated with impaired social functioning and accurate self-assessment. Features of schizophrenia have differential implications for impaired functioning and self-assessment, with autistic features and low levels of depression associated with consistent self-assessment biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip D Harvey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Research Service, Miami VA Healthcare System, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Deckler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Mackenzie T Jones
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - L Fredrik Jarskog
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - David L Penn
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Amy E Pinkham
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, USA
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